Tomatoes are the Star In my opinion, in a summer garden – of all the wide range of plants that can be grown, the tomato is the superstar. The one that just owns the season. Sweetcorn could come in a close second if it wasn’t for the fact that in spite of their sunny yellow disposition, which can be stored in the freezer to bring … Continue reading Latest Post: Tomatoes are the Star.
Sticky post
ONE WEEK OF WINTER LEFT This year has whizzed by, and the fun is about to start. There is a lot of anticipation and expectation this season, probably more so than ever after the disappointment of last time. There was just too much rain. My hope that things will be different this year is due to the shift from a soggy La Nina to a … Continue reading One week of winter left
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month and no returnsies. (Such a strange tradition!) But here we are celebrating the start of a new season. As much as I can’t believe we have arrived at March already having lived through the first two months of this year that still feels quite new. Ordinarily I would be bemoaning the fact that it … Continue reading Welcome to Autumn
The weather is still being weird. It is still gloomy but the nice days are fighting for their right to shine, so we have had a couple of days that offer the promise of summer. But for the most part this struggle of the seasons are showing themselves as hot and humid with bursts of rain temporarily cooling things down. The garden is coping well … Continue reading Love in the Garden
Coming back to the garden after such a long time out of it feels weird. It isn’t helped by the weather. We are just three days away from the start of the meteorological summer and to be honest it feels like the early days of spring. Instead of slowly raising the temperatures and increasing the sunshine, the season seems to be stuck in some kind … Continue reading This is not what I was expecting
The tomatoes are off to a great start. As usual I started too many seeds. I have decided this stems from a fear of something going wrong at the seedling stage and when it comes time to planting out I don’t have enough rather than having a heavy hand with the seeds. And I sow them in 6 cell seed trays and in spite of … Continue reading Off to a great start.
I think I’m pleased. It has been so dry for so long and we’ve been worrying about how much water is left in the tanks for such a long time. Finally, there is respite and enough water that I may even indulge in a candle lit bubble bath with a good book at some point soon – maybe after a hard day digging something. Such … Continue reading Today is a rain day
The garden seems to be in some sort of holding pattern. The old summer plants are limping along, being supplemented by frequent watering and liquid feeds like they are on some kind of life support. They are still productive and there is a modest harvest, but it is so dry. And while we are no longer in those heady high temperature days, it is still … Continue reading Waiting for rain
… And a few words to go with them. The mornings are turning out to be quite productive as the cooler starts stretch well into the day before the heat drives me indoors again. The temperature is still getting up to 30C in the garden in the hottest part of the afternoon. But it isn’t just the pleasant working conditions that make gardening great, the … Continue reading Mostly Pictures
If I am to learn anything from this month is to lower my expectations. This is not a normal month where life ticks by with the ebb and flow of a reliable routine. It is filled with holidays and opportunities to hang out on the beach, or to visit or be visited. Not many people work normally for a large chunk of this month and … Continue reading January – A month in review
